A New Life
by Lorelai Danes
Summary: My take on a "Resolutions" re-write. Tuvok doesn't contact them right away and they have more time to spend together on the planet. What happens when they become more than friends before Voyager comes back for them?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This is my attempt at a Voyager fic, more specifically a remake of "Resolutions" (I know, original right? =P ). In my version, Tuvok has not yet agreed to contact the Vidiians. This is a continuation of where I think the show could have gone if Tuvok had not sent them the comm signal while Chakotay and Janeway were viewing the boat schematic that Chakotay was planning to build for them. This story takes place directly after Chakotay shows Janeway the boat plan.

I am not a fan of the overdone "Chakotay and Janeway just start doing it" stories because I do not think they are realistic, but I do believe the characters did have a strong romantic tension in that episode and episodes to come after because of their friendship, commitment, and love for one another. So although they do not have sex (yet! hehe) in this first chapter, I do believe the episode alluded to the fact that it was crossing Chakotay's mind…especially when he saw her in that towel after her bath and then again when he gave her that massage. And, yes, I do believe he loved her. It was finally "officially" done in "The Eternal Tide" and "Full Circle" books, but I am sad they never got them together on the actual show.

* * *

"I'm not sure we could fit the bathtub in the boat." Chakotay said teasingly, mocking the woman standing beside him.

Kathryn began to laugh. "Well, that's alright, I'll have the river."

Chakotay smirked shyly. "The whole river…that's one big bathtub."

Kathryn patted him on the shoulder. "Room enough for both of us then." She said lightly, not at all aware of the thought that swept across Chakotay's mind in response to her simple words. The prospect of both of them bathing in the river together made his skin tingle. He blushed slightly and immediately looked down at his computer, pretending to analyze the boat image. Although he knew her words had no alternative innuendo, it still made his face flush with color. She missed his sly smile and skin coloration as she went over to the sink to wash off the soil from her hands. She had been outside in the garden all morning and her hands were dirty from planting all of those tomatoes.

Kathryn looked over at Chakotay as she was drying off her hands. He was slightly red in the face, she noticed, but thought nothing of it. He was now staring intently at his computer screen, seeming to be analyzing the structure of the boat he would soon construct for them.

She sighed softly. "You know, Chakotay…" Kathryn spoke quietly and walked closer to his side. He looked up and met her blue eyes. "Ever since I haven't been able to do my research, I began to feel a little bit…useless around here." She swallowed hard. "I think that's the reason I started gardening. I just want to contribute…something. Do you know what I mean?"

Chakotay's reverie about himself and Kathryn bathing in the river together came to a sudden halt at her disheartening words. "Useless?" He asked bewilderedly as he saw her long face. "Kathryn, you most certainly are not useless. You were just out there gardening the entire morning. We can't live on replicated food forever, you know. We will need actual food at our disposal one day. What you are doing is very helpful and necessary." He spoke with that intense note of sincerity that only Chakotay could manage. "I'm not just saying that, Kathryn. I mean it."

Janeway's heart warmed at his compliment. "I know that…but I'm not like you, Chakotay. You're always building something or creating something to try and make our lives here easier…much more so than I am…" She paused and leaned in closely to view the boat on the computer screen. "Do you think…I mean, would you mind if I helped you build the boat? Even if it's just to humor me for a little while?"

Chakotay laughed at the idea, but when he saw the bright twinkle in her eyes searching his own for an answer, he responded by gently touching her back. "Of course you can help me. But you've never struck me as the building type. Then again, you've never struck me as the gardening type either, but those tomatoes seem to be growing just fine. We can build the boat together."

Kathryn smiled weakly, knowing he was right. She was not the building type. "Well, I'm excited to give it a try. I feel like I haven't been doing much lately besides mucking around in the dirt and taking baths." She felt Chakotay slowly lift his hand off of her back and go back to fiddling with the computer mockup.

She continued. "Besides, if I help, the sooner we can get it finished and explore that river! Maybe there are other animal species lurking around here that we just haven't spotted yet. It would bring a little excitement to my life; maybe allow me to conduct at least a small amount of research with what we have here, even if it's just recording the plant and animal life."

Chakotay, although he was an animal lover himself, could not understand her growing obsession with the monkey that had been hanging around. He chuckled softly and shook his head. "You never know. Maybe you'll make some more monkey friends."

He looked up and saw her mock scowling at him. "He's not my…_friend_, Chakotay." She said defensively with that twinkle still resonating in her eyes. The response written silently on his face caused her lip to curl up into a small grin. "Alright…maybe I have had an unhealthy fascination with the monkey, but there isn't much else going on around here."

She looked around at their humble abode, which Chakotay had added personal touches to in order to make them feel more at home. Although she appreciated his work greatly and was happy that he was trying, she missed being on Voyager with her fellow crewmen…exploring the unknown. She sighed and sat down next to Chakotay, her messy hair falling slightly in front of her face.

"I guess I just really miss being…Captain Kathryn Janeway." She smiled sadly at Chakotay. It was clear to him that she was hurting quite deeply, being away from the ship, and he never wanted her to feel that way even if he did not share her sadness.

Chakotay nodded solemnly and took her hand into his, even though he did not necessarily agree with her assessment of the situation. On the contrary to her feelings, he finally felt somewhat at peace with his life. No more vicious alien invaders, no more sudden attacks, no more starship to command, no more never-ending reports or duty shifts or sleepless nights, no constant repairs to make…no one was there at all except for the two of them…alone. It was nice not to have to worry for once if some alien intruder was about to attack their ship.

He cleared his throat and forced a smile to try and cheer her up. "You're right, _Captain_." He said, knowing it would cause a small twinge of a smile to grace her lips, which it most certainly did. "There isn't much to do around here. It's not wrong for you to want a…pet…or something. It's not wrong for you to miss being on the ship with your crew either. I think it's a perfectly normal reaction to our current situation." He sighed and looked up into her eyes. "I just wish I could do _something_ more…to make you happier. I don't want you to ever feel…_useless_, because you most certainly are not. You're the opposite of useless."

Kathryn shook her head and tenderly touched his back, causing a warm sensation to overcome his entire body. Suddenly he felt as though every nerve ending he possessed was alerted all at once.

"That's just silly." She responded hoarsely. "You've already succeeded in making me…happy." She blushed a slight shade of pink at her admission. "Just because I miss being captain of Voyager doesn't necessarily mean I'm _unhappy _here. I couldn't ask for anything more from you, Chakotay. You've been…so wonderful. _I'm_ the one who needs to work out my frustration. It's not _your responsibility_, Chakotay." She said gently, alluding to the "warrior story" he had told her only a week before, as she moved in closer to him.

He absently stared at the computer screen again, not knowing how to react to her close presence nor to her words. She was only inches away from him and he could feel the warmth she carried, radiating off of her body onto his. He was disrupted from his wandering thought as she spoke again, more in control this time. "As for my primate friend…I want to give the little guy a name. Just so I have something to call him, you know? There's just one problem…"

Chakotay laughed genuinely and looked up at her in amusement. "Problem? What kind of problem?"

Janeway thought pensively. "I don't know its gender."

She giggled suddenly and Chakotay was confused. For a brief moment, as he silently watched her infectious smile light up their pathetic excuse for a home, he thought of how beautiful she was…both inside and out.

Chakotay didn't understand her sudden bought of the giggles though. "What's so funny?"

Janeway released her hand from his back and her other hand slid out from underneath his own. She was heading for the door. She leaned against it almost as though she was posing. "I want _you _to…find out for me. Consider it like a mission."

He narrowed his eyes at her in mock dismay. "You want me to check…its gender?"

Kathryn giggled again and nodded. "For me. Please. I feel too embarrassed doing it myself and I really want to give him…_it_…a name."

Chakotay sighed in defeat and shook a finger at her. "Only if it's out there, Kathryn. I'm not going to go chasing after that thing just to look...at…its…you know." He blushed again for the second time that morning and bent down to pretend to focus on his boat mockup again.

Kathryn nodded. "Fair enough." She closed the door behind her and Chakotay watched as she skipped out towards the forest.

* * *

Janeway and Chakotay were hacking away at their wood one sunny afternoon, Kathryn wearing a form-fitting white tee shirt and a brown skirt while Chakotay donned his usual attire. They had been working day and night for a week on building their boat. Chakotay was apparently correct at his assessment of Kathryn's building skills…she possessed no aptitude for the task whatsoever. He often had to show her how to do something and whenever she tried on her own, something usually went wrong. They had quite a number of laughs at Kathryn's expense over building the boat, however they both thoroughly enjoyed the quiet times they shared, silently sharpening the wood or gathering supplies together. Chakotay noticed that the more work he gave her to do, the happier she became. She truly was one of those people who always loved to be busy and learn new things, to keep moving forward no matter how difficult life became. Whether it was getting back to the Alpha Quadrant or building a silly riverboat, she never wanted to give up. He admired her strength of character.

"Oh no, Kathryn…" Chakotay warned softly as he watched her holding one of the saws they were using to cut wood. "You don't want to hold it like that. The blade is too close to your hand. You could hurt yourself."

She attempted to readjust it, but the blade fell to the ground and she just sighed.

Chakotay let out a chuckle. "Here, let me show you. I don't want you losing any fingers…at least, not when we're so close to finishing the boat." He joked as he gently took her hand, in which she held the largest piece of cutting equipment she had ever used before, and showed her the correct way in which she should hold the tool.

"There, that's better." Chakotay said, releasing his hand from hers. "Try now."

She started to cut the wood again and found that she no longer had to worry about accidentally chopping off any fingers.

She shook her head. "I don't see why you're still letting me help you build this thing, Chakotay. I wouldn't be surprised if my work causes this boat to sink the minute we get onto the river."

Chakotay laughed. "Well, then we'll just have to swim back, won't we?" He saw her roll her eyes at his attempt at making fun of her. "Don't worry. You're doing a great job and this boat will be unsinkable, I promise. I won't let you drown out there." He then pretended to think seriously for a moment. "Kathryn…"

She looked up. "What?"

"You can swim, can't you?" Chakotay teased her. "You know…just in case…"

She arched her eyebrow up. "Don't make me use this for something else, Chakotay." She warned and held up the blade.

He laughed at her empty threat and when he heard her match his laughter, they went back to silently working on the boat.

* * *

The day was coming to a close, as was their new boat. Kathryn and Chakotay sat on the grass in front of the shelter and looked proudly onto their joint creation. The paint just needed to dry and it would be ready for use the following morning. They were both packed and eager to take their camping trip. It would be the most exciting thing they've done since they arrived on New Earth.

"A job well done, Commander." She said with a hint of pride in her voice. "Shall we replicate a bottle of champagne to celebrate?"

"Already done. You must have read my mind." He smiled and reached into the basket he had sitting next to them on the lawn. He took the liberty of preparing a spread of food for their little celebration and had it laid out on the blanket like a picnic. It was a warm night and he wanted them to have a peaceful dinner outside where they could admire their new boat. He uncorked the champagne and grabbed two glasses from the basket. He filled her glass to the brim and held it out to her.

"You, Kathryn Janeway, will soon be the captain of a brand new ship." They clinked their glasses together and smiled. "Think you can handle the big river?"

She pretended to think about it for a moment before nodding. "After handling my fair share of hostile aliens in space, I think I can take on whatever's out there." She pointed to the direction of the river.

Smelling the food, Kathryn's monkey suddenly appeared and walked slightly lopsidedly toward their spread of food.

"Well, Chakotay," Kathryn said with a hint of laughter in her voice. "He's here…what are you waiting for?"

Remembering her earlier request to "check its gender", Chakotay laughed while sipping his champagne, causing him to choke slightly and spill the drink on his shirt.

Kathryn reached up and took Chakotay's toppling wine glass. "Can you check so I can name him? I've been waiting!" She giggled like a little girl, her red hair blowing slightly in the wind. She hadn't worn it up since they landed on New Earth.

He sighed regretfully. "Is that an order, Captain?"

She smiled warmly. "It certainly is." She then pointed a stern finger at him and used her best captain's voice. "And…I want name suggestions submitted to me by no less than 09:00 hours tomorrow morning."

Chakotay sighed and slowly approached the monkey. _This is ridiculous. _He thought to himself. He glanced behind him at her face, which looked as though it was about to erupt in laughter. _Anything to see her smile. _He decided. He reached into the bowl of fruit he had out for them and held a piece in his hand so the monkey would come further towards them. The monkey obliged and hopped up to their blanket. Kathryn giggled in a fit of laughter as she watched Chakotay try to get a glimpse of the monkey's parts. Finally, after roughly fifteen minutes, and both of them exhausted and beet red from laughing, he raised his hands as though to surrender.

"Sorry, Kathryn. I can't do this." Chakotay smiled gleefully, definitely not sorry. "Why don't you just give him a gender-neutral name?"

Kathryn took a gulp of her champagne and smiled. "Like what?"

Chakotay scratched his chin pensively. "How about…Bananas?"

Kathryn handed Chakotay his glass back and they clinked them together once more.

She decided she liked that name. "Bananas. I like that. Bananas it is."

They both drained their glasses and stretched out together on the lawn, peering up at the stars that they were once so used to flying through. "Now we need to name our new ship, Chakotay. Any thoughts?"

Chakotay had his head cocked to the side instead of facing the stars, silently admiring Kathryn's natural beauty as she lay beside him. Her perfect face and body were so close to him, but he knew that he couldn't touch either of them. His heart ached as he watched her peering up at the stars like a little school girl who wanted to become an astronaut someday when she grew up.

Kathryn noticed Chakotay was not responding to her question and glanced over at him. She was surprised to see his face staring straight back at her own. "Chakotay?"

"Hmm?" He asked, abruptly lifted from his wandering thoughts. "Kathryn?"

She smiled and reached over to touch his hand. "I asked you a question."

Chakotay blushed. "Sorry, I was just…thinking. What did you ask me?"

Kathryn looked at him with slight suspicion before answering. "I asked you what you think we should name our new ship."

Chakotay shook his head and grinned. "You and your names."

"It's unheard of not to name a ship, Chakotay. It's bad luck to sail a ship with no name." Kathryn chastised as she held his hand. If only she knew what those slight touches did to him inside.

Chakotay cleared his throat and tried to think of a name quickly. "How about…The Janeway?"

Kathryn rolled her eyes. "Where's your creativity, Chakotay?"

"Well, you helped build it…um, sort of." Chakotay teased as she rolled her eyes. He liked to rib her about her building skills. It was the one and only thing he was better at than she was. Everything else…science, astronomy, commanding a starship…those things, she was far better at than he. But, not at building…definitely not at building.

She rubbed his hand softly with her thumb without realizing it. "I want to name our ship….The Voyager."

Chakotay chuckled. "How original. I've never heard that name before." He saw her face turn sad. He knew she was looking up at the stars, thinking of the crew and ship they had left behind. He paused for a moment and thought about his Kathryn…about what she has had to deal with for the last few weeks. He relented. "On second thought…I love it. The Voyager it is." He said with finality and squeezed her hand for reassurance. She squeezed it right back, sending a shiver up his arm.

She sighed in contentment and a small smile appeared on her lips. "The Voyager."

Chakotay leaned in closer to Kathryn. He wanted so desperately to kiss her, but instead he just spoke softly. "We'd better eat this food before Bananas gets any ideas."

* * *

Kathryn woke up at 6 o' clock in the morning. She had trouble sleeping the night before due to her excitement about going on the camping trip in their new boat. She knew deep inside how silly it was…after all, she had commanded a team of over 150 crew members in outer space on a starship. However, for some reason, this new development in her life exhilarated her and she was happy to be going on a little riverboat trip with Chakotay and exploring the planet they've endearingly nicknamed New Earth.

She slowly got out of bed and immediately replicated a canister of coffee. Taking in her first sip of the day, she breathed in the aroma slowly. It smelled heavenly and she smiled to herself. She walked over to Chakotay's room out of habit and saw that he was sleeping still. She crept past his room and went outside. She figured she could sneak in a bath without him seeing her since he was still sound asleep. She was well aware that it was light outside, but she knew the only people around were her, Chakotay, and that monkey. She slowly lifted her night shirt over her head and set it aside before removing her panties, which she let drop down to her feet. She leaned over to start filling up the tub with steaming hot water. She then climbed in once it was full enough, coffee cup in hand, and closed her eyes as she felt the relaxing sensation of the water filling up around her. Taking her bar of soap that smelled of lavender that Chakotay had replicated for her, she began to massage the soap all over her body. To her, that was the most blissful start to an even more excellent day.

Unbeknownst to Kathryn, her movements near Chakotay's bedroom door caused him to stir in his sleep. Waking up about five minutes later, he walked out of his room and searched for Kathryn, which by now had become a morning habit for both of them.

"Kathryn?" He called softly. He heard nothing in response to his calls and turned automatically to gaze out the window to look at the yard. His heart nearly stopped dead when he glanced outside and saw a very revealing Kathryn Janeway, standing in the middle of the yard, next to the bathtub, slowly removing her clothing in broad daylight. Chakotay wanted to turn away, to give her the privacy he knew she wanted, but his eyes were too transfixed on the beautiful sight before him. He watched as she slid into the tub he had built for her. He continued to stare as she took the bar of soap he had replicated for her into her hands and maneuver it over her naked body. Chakotay grabbed onto the nearest wall, knowing he was about to lose control. He nearly fell to the ground in astonishment of this latest turn of events. His involuntary arousal became stronger and more pressing as he watched her close her eyes and seductively rub the bar of soap over her naked breasts and then down to the rest of her body. Even though the tub masked the lower part of her body, he could tell exactly what part of her body she was washing. He gasped in desire and ran back into his room and slammed the door shut behind him. He walked into the little bathroom he and Kathryn shared, locked the door, and instantly removed his own pajama pants and underwear. He had to relieve himself of his desires before going on the camping trip with her. He closed his own eyes and imagined what it would be like to make love…really make love…to Kathryn, the woman he secretly loved and respected with all of his heart, mind, and soul. He imagined himself exploring every inch of her beautiful body, touching every centimeter of her soft, supple skin, before finally pleasuring her where she needed it most. He slowly stroked his own hardness as he visualized everything he would do to please her. He imagined that as he did so, all of the hopes and dreams he had for them would just spill out of his mouth and she would reciprocate his sentiments. Soon enough, he gasped again, moaning softly, as he ejaculated into his own hand. Feeling instantly ashamed of himself and cursing himself for looking at her during her most private of moments, he sighed and cleaned up his little mess. He decided to lay down on his bed again to relax for a while before Kathryn came back inside. He was now sweaty and out of breath from what had transpired. He needed to calm himself down before their trip…that was for sure. If only it could be that easy. No matter how hard he tried, the image of his Kathryn taking off her clothes and soaking in the tub he built for her refused to leave his mind's eye. He tried to push it away.

Within the next hour, around 7:30 AM, he heard Kathryn's strong, beautiful voice fill the home. "Chakotay? Where are you? We were supposed to leave at 07:00 hours!"

He closed his eyes tightly, as though trying to erase the images from before, and rose from the bed. He knew how excited and happy she was about the boating trip and he was not about to show her that anything was amiss. Putting on his strongest of forced smiles, he went out to greet her and get ready for their camping excursion.

* * *

*I will continue this story soon. I hope to make it many chapters long. Let me know what you like or don't like about it. I know the Resolutions remake has been done many times. I just wanted to try it. Thanks for reading. Will update soon.*


	2. Chapter 2

"Chakotay?" Kathryn called, but heard nothing in response to her repeated bellows. "Chakotay, are you there?" She called out again through the small home they shared together. She sighed in relief when she saw him sitting up in his bed as she peered through the glass window that separated his bedroom from the rest of the shelter. He was staring down at his lap, not paying much attention and appeared to be in deep thought. She went over and gently knocked on his door, partially sticking her head inside the room. He looked up at her, extremely red in the face, and nodded to her to come in.

Kathryn stepped inside and noticed that he did not seem ready to go yet. He was still in his sleepwear, hair in messy disarray, and he looked awfully sweaty.

"Chakotay?" Kathryn prodded softly when he didn't say anything to her. She walked closer to him near his bedside and rested a careful hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Chakotay looked up and gave her a weak smile. "Of course. Just give me a few minutes to clean myself up and get ready, okay?"

Kathryn cocked her head to the side in concern, but then just nodded and left the room.

After she stepped out, he let out a breath he did not realize he had been holding. He ran a shaky hand through his sweaty locks of hair and sighed. He went back into the bathroom, washed up, combed his hair, and got dressed in the clothes he normally wore when going out into the wilderness. While in his closet, he noticed his red Starfleet uniform hanging there and nostalgically ran a tender hand over its thick cloth. He smiled sadly to himself, knowing he most likely would never need to wear that uniform again. Not unless the extraordinary happened and Voyager came to rescue them with a cure. The longer they remained on the planet, the more distant that possibility became.

When he came out of his room, he saw Kathryn excitedly checking their bags and equipment to make certain they had everything they would need. She had a PADD in one hand, he supposed that had listed out everything they would be bringing with them and she appeared to be checking everything one by one. Chakotay chuckled softly to himself as he watched her meticulously going over every item, talking to herself quietly while clutching a canister of black coffee in the hand that did not occupy the PADD.

"So, I guess it's true then. The more things change, the more they stay the same, huh?" Chakotay teased her as he went over to her and added his bag to the pile.

Kathryn smiled coyly. "I just want to make sure we'll have everything we need, that's all." She paused and looked him over cautiously. He appeared to be in a lot better shape now. "So, you ready then?"

Chakotay forced his best assertive grin. "You bet. Let's go."

Kathryn nodded and they both grabbed all of the luggage and items they were bringing and hauled them into their newly crafted boat.

"I hope there's still enough room for us in there after we get all this stuff in." Chakotay noted as the boat seemed to become more and more filled with cargo as he packed their belongings in one by one. "Alright, I think that's everything. You go first."

He took Kathryn's hand and helped her into the boat. She barely was able to squeeze onto her bench.

"Think we over packed?" She jested as she held out her arm and helped him into the boat as well.

"Just a tad." Chakotay agreed and squeezed in on the bench opposite her. He unhitched the boat from the little dock he had built and they began floating away from their humble patch of land. Chakotay grabbed the oars he had crafted out of a beautiful and rare redwood he had found in the forest and started pushing them away across the river. Their tiny shelter became smaller and smaller in the distance as they sailed along.

The view of their surroundings was quite breathtaking-rolling hills full of lush green plants, trees, and other botanicals. Kathryn enjoyed herself thoroughly as she allowed the soft breeze to blow through her long, red hair and she felt an overall feeling of happiness envelop her. Chakotay was enjoying it too; however he was still troubled internally by his earlier actions. He could not get it out of his mind…what he saw…the image in his brain of Kathryn. He shook his head as though trying to push the image from his mind. But, it didn't work. She sat there in front of him, so exhilarated and happy to be out and about in their new boat. Even through his own discomfort from before, watching her smile like that certainly still warmed his heart.

Chakotay cleared his throat to get her attention. "You look like you're enjoying yourself."

She blushed when she realized she must have been grinning as she relished in the feeling of the wind in her hair. "It just…feels so nice. And it's so beautiful today. It's hard to believe we just suffered that horrible plasma storm only a few weeks ago."

"I thought you hated camping. Now it seems like you can't wait to spend time in…nature." He teased her.

"Well, I suppose my feelings have changed." She paused. "I…like it out here. I feel so free. Like I don't have a care in the world. It's liberating…after all those years, well…you know."

Chakotay laughed. "I do know. You deserve it." There was a quiet, yet content, silence between the pair for a long while until Chakotay's arms were beginning to become sore from rowing.

"Where do you think is a good spot to set up camp?" Chakotay asked after they had been sailing on the river for quite some time. "We'll need a few hours to set up the tent and fire before it gets dark."

Kathryn gazed around. "Hmm…"

She spotted a clearing a few yards away on the right side of the river. "How about over there?" She pointed. "It looks pretty clear. But just to be safe, I'll scan the area with my tricorder once we dock. I don't want any large animals surprising us in our sleep."

"Sorry we don't have access to a force field to protect us out here. We'll have to risk it." He mocked.

Kathryn laughed. "It's okay. I have my phaser in case we encounter anything." She paused as she scanned the area with her eyes. "Chakotay, pull in right over here. There will be plenty of room for our camp."

"Aye, aye, Captain." Chakotay said with a sly smile.

* * *

Once they docked and Kathryn ran her brief tricorder scan, they started setting up the tent and Chakotay attempted to start a fire.

"I forgot how horrible I am at this." Chakotay shook his head at Kathryn. "Contrary to popular belief, I'm probably the worst Native American to be with when you need a fire."

"Is there anything you can do with a phaser?" Kathryn suggested. "Forgive me, but I remember extremely little from my Starfleet survival training. I try my best to forget the experience."

Chakotay was still rubbing the sticks together when he noticed a slight spark. "It's okay, I think I got it!"

He kept at it for a while and finally a fire had been started.

"There we are. Fire!" Chakotay exclaimed proudly. He looked over at Kathryn who was struggling to get the tent up.

Chakotay helped her with the tent and soon enough they had everything set up. He spread out a couple of blankets and pillows around the fire so they could relax and enjoy the view of the pristine river while cooking their food.

Kathryn gazed around at their surroundings. It was now nearing dusk and night was falling. The river glistened in the near distance.

Kathryn turned around from staring at the river when she heard Chakotay start to cook their meal.

"What's on the menu?" Kathryn asked with a tease. "I know you're a vegetarian, so I assume some sort of vegetables for you. What about for me?"

"I thought maybe I would cook up a couple cans of beans and some potatoes. For meat, I brought you some burgers. I also brought along coffee that we can brew in the morning. Everything was from the replicator so all I'll need to do is heat everything up on the fire and we should be good." Chakotay said as he rigged the pot and pan to sit upon the fire. "Why don't you relax or read while dinner's cooking? If I know you and I think I do…you've brought some books along with you."

Kathryn smiled. "I did. But, first I think I'll get out of these clothes. They're starting to smell…a bit _too_ natural for my taste." She scrunched her nose at the smell and grabbed her carry-on bag and headed into the tent to change into pajamas.

Chakotay started to think about what happened that morning again. He sighed to himself and glanced over to the tent where he knew Kathryn was changing. He didn't want to have these thoughts, but they just would not leave him alone. It wasn't as though he had just realized his feelings for her. That was not the case at all. His feelings for her had always been there, ever since the first few weeks they had known each other. But it was different on Voyager than it was here. He knew, aboard Voyager, that as her First Officer there was nothing he could have done about his feelings and, to be honest, not much spare time to think about them. But here…on this planet…completely alone with her in a small home and their command structure broken…he could. _They could_. However, the fact that he had no idea what she was thinking or feeling though, made it nearly impossible to tell her, even though he knew he would have to do so eventually. The trouble was…he knew that if she did not return his feelings, their situation would become awkward. After all, who else did they have for company, but one another?

Kathryn came out of the tent wearing a long, soft cotton nightshirt and a pair of shorts. It was very warm outside, even with the river's breeze. She sat down beside the fire and nuzzled herself up against one of the makeshift lounges Chakotay made out of spare pillows and blankets. She allowed her head to rest comfortably on a soft pillow and closed her eyes for a few moments, breathing in the mountain air.

"So, this is what I've been missing all this time." Kathryn murmured to herself.

Chakotay sat down beside her as the food simmered. "What do you mean?"

"All those years cooped up inside of ships, academies, buildings…" Kathryn opened her eyes and yawned. "Always knocking my parents down for trying to get me to appreciate nature and get back to basics. Look at what I've been missing all this time. It's really wonderful."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, the food is replicated. So we're not _entirely _back to basics." He laughed, as did she. "But, I'm glad you're starting to adapt to life here." He paused. "It…won't be that bad, Kathryn. I promise. I'll…make sure of it."

Kathryn kept her head on the pillow, but leaned over the other way so that she was facing Chakotay. "I told you before…my happiness is not your responsibility. It's my own problem. My…issues with our situation…are not your burden to carry, Chakotay."

Chakotay felt hurt by her words; even though he knew very well that he had no reason to feel that way. "I understand. But, I can't just flip a switch and suddenly stop caring about you. Your happiness is very important to me. Just as it was on Voyager. But, even more so now…that…" He stopped for a moment and carefully planned his words. "Especially now that it's just us alone on this planet. I want you to be happy. I…care about you a great deal." His face flushed with color from his admission. "I just don't want you to be miserable here, that's all."

Kathryn sat up and gently rubbed his shoulder. She spoke in a softer voice than usual. "I know." She paused and added. "And I'm not."

His arm tingled when she touched him, but she had no idea.

After they ate their food and shared a bottle of wine together, they laid beside one another around the fire. Chakotay noticed Kathryn was starting to drift off to sleep, but he knew it wasn't safe to sleep out in the open like that. They would have to retire to their tent soon.

He leaned over and stroked her arm gently. Her skin was so soft, he noticed. "Kathryn…" He cooed tenderly. "Kathryn, wake up." He whispered.

Kathryn's eyes fluttered open for a moment and her sleepy, hazy blue eyes found his. "What…what is it? What's wrong?"

He gently took her hands. "Shhh, nothing's wrong. We should just get inside the tent now. It's not really safe to sleep out here like this. Come on."

She groaned, but allowed him to lift her up by the arms.

Suddenly, Chakotay felt a giant thud hit the bottom of his stomach. They only had one tent. He would be sleeping in the same tent as Kathryn. He was secretly pleased about this, but at the same time he knew it might be awkward. He hoped she would not realize it and would just fall asleep easily just as she did by the fire.

She crawled into their tent and immediately flopped onto the ground and began curling up inside of her side of the blanket. He assumed she would pass out instantly.

Chakotay slowly lifted the other end of the same blanket (they had only one in the tent) and slid only halfway inside. He tried his best to stay as far away from her as possible to give her space to sleep peacefully. His heart was pounding so hard…that he tried to forget about where he was and where SHE was and just focus on taking in deep breaths. He closed his eyes and focused on his breath. In and out, breathing slowly. Eventually, his rapid heartbeat became slowed and he felt more relaxed. Suddenly, just as he was about to drift off into a deep sleep, he heard Kathryn's faint voice fill their tent.

"Chakotay?" He heard Kathryn mumble sleepily from the other side of the tent.

He opened his eyes and turned to her. It was dark, but he could still see her small figure as the moonlight seeped in through the walls of the tent. "Yes?"

"Thank you." She said softly, her eyes closed.

Chakotay looked confused and leaned over more towards her side. "Thank you for what?"

Kathryn's eyes opened slightly and she smiled tenderly. "For this. For making the boat. For doing all of this. Thank you."

"There's no need to thank me. Besides, what fun would it be to do this by myself? Thank _you_ for coming with me." Chakotay whispered as he reached for the blanket so he could cover her up more snugly. He draped more blanket over her shoulders and squeezed them reassuringly as he did so. "Goodnight, Kathryn. Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight." She whispered back.

* * *

*I'll try to write more soon. Hope you J/C fans like it so far. I know it's a lot of mush right now, but it will have conflict later.*


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